Rate My Professor Hahna Briggs

Hahna Briggs is the Manager and Kaiwhakahaere of Te Whare Tāwharau, the Sexual Violence Support and Prevention Centre within Student Services at the University of Otago. In this capacity, she directs operations providing essential support to students experiencing sexual harm or intimate partner violence, including a safe space for confidential conversations, belief and validation without judgment, and referrals to services like Student Health and Disability Information and Support. The centre assists students through complaints processes and offers academic supports such as assignment extensions, lecture notes, safe study spaces, and alternative exam arrangements, informed by the 2019 campus climate survey that identified impacts on academic focus, attendance, and retention. Briggs fosters a community-based approach to harm reduction, recruiting volunteer peer supporters—who serve as initial welcoming contacts maintaining boundaries—and workshop facilitators from current or recent students passionate about creating safer environments.

Her leadership extends to educational programming, including CommUNIty 102 workshops for first-year residential college students emphasizing consent, personal experiences, and peer support; HYBRID sessions for leaders like sub-wardens, society executives, and tutors focusing on bystander intervention and safe disclosure responses; and staff training on handling disclosures. Previously, Briggs worked as OUSA Queer Support Coordinator, promoting queer community acceptance, and co-authored the 2016 Otago University Students' Association report 'Campus climate for students with diverse sexual orientations and/or gender identities at the University of Otago.' Her academic background features a Master of Dance Studies earned from the University of Otago in 2009, with the thesis 'Able as anything: integrated dance in New Zealand' supervised by Alexandra Kolb and Motohide Miyahara. Additionally, she cofounded GASP! Dance Collective to enable inclusive dance for individuals with and without disabilities, served as a Lecturer in Disability Studies at Otago Polytechnic, and as a Dance Tutor at the University of Otago.